Amnesty
by acemaclove88
Summary: Richard was in an accident, and is now in rehab to get his body under control again. Who’s his physical therapist? And what happens when he catches the eye of Rory?
1. Chapter 1

Richard was in an accident, and is now in rehab to get his body under control again. Who's his physical therapist? And what happens when he catches the eye of Rory?

Chapter 1: Thoughts read unspoken

"Grandpa…come on you have to get up" Rory coaxed, standing next to his bed while holding the black button down, effectively lifting his back up into a sitting position

Richard grunted "What's the use? I can't walk, I can't sit, I can't even pee on my own!" he shouted annoyed

Rory sighed annoyed…she had been with him for the past 3 days…all day in the rehab center he was sent to after the big accident. Thankfully he was okay but his mood had changed considerably. She sent a sympathetic look to the Nurse who was sent to take him to the rehab room.

"Well that's what were her to cure Grandpa…but you have to work a little. You will walk again…I promise. Just try" Rory tried, trying desperately not to lose it. He had a problem with everything. The food, the bed, the nurses, the medicine, the therapists, half the time he wanted to get out of bed…and then when he did all he wanted to do was get back in again. It was riving her crazy. Taking a few deep breaths she calmed herself down. This was her grandfather she had to do this for him…he was in a tough spot and the doctor said he was vulnerable to depression right now as well.

"I said no! I don't want to get up, all I want to do is sleep in peace" he said defiantly, crossing his arms

"Grandpa…you're really making this hard on me" Rory sighed "Come on 30 minutes of therapy and then you can sleep all day" She reasoned "This is your last session for today anyways"

Rolling his eyes and snorting in annoyance he nodded. "Fine, but I'm not working with Ava, she smells like a foot"

"Grandpa!" Rory warned her eyes wide

"Are we going to go or not" he snapped

Rory nodded and motioned for the nurse to come in. they helped him into the wheelchair and he muttered obscenities all the way as Rory wheeled him into the therapy room. The large room was filled with equipment, from a large bed to treadmills. She quickly looked away as she caught the eye of one of the therapists there. _God Rory idiot…he thinks you're an idiot_ she said to herself as she did it again…every time he walked by, she was caught staring at him.

"Tristan! You're 4 o'clock is here" One of them shouted as they saw Rory

Rory's eyes widened _no no no no no…Tristan was their therapist? How the hell was she supposed to get through a session of therapy with him!_ Taking a deep breath she looked anywhere but him as he walked towards them. Holding out a hand he smiled at her "Hey, I'm Tristan…Mr. Gilmore's physical therapist" he greeted

Rory smiled and shook his hand "Rory Gilmore…his granddaughter" she said awkwardly

"Don't you look a little young for this…do you have your credentials on you" Richard demanded

Rory glared at her grandfather "Grandpa!" She warned again "Stop it"

"It's alright" Tristan laughed. Rory found herself completely infatuated by him…he had blonde spiky hair, stunning blue eyes and not to mention his body was perfect. The thing Rory noticed most was that he had nice hands…they were soft but rough. He looked good in scrubs too…he wore the uniform dark blue scrubs with matching pants.

"Rory!" She heard her name being said

"Huh?" she asked coming out of her thoughts

"You alright? I lost you there for a few minutes" He asked concerned, his blue eyes boring into hers as he walked around the wheelchair to stand next to her before wheeling Mr. Gilmore to the standing frame.

Rory nodded; embarrassed for spacing out like that "yeah fine"

"Well I think we'll just put him in the standing frame for today…try and build his muscles a bit before we try walking" Tristan suggested as he walked to the front of the chair and put the breaks on. Rory nodded in confirmation and told Richard

"Standing frame?" he asked incredulously "Rory all I want to do is sleep…and you're going to strap me and force me to stand" he said annoyed

"This will help you…I'm sorry but you don't really have a choice" Rory said annoyed, letting out a breath of laughter at Tristan's amused face.

"You know it would make it a lot easier if you didn't make my patient hate me" he joked, getting everything ready

Rory snorted, surprised at how easy it was to talk to him. She had been glancing at him for days and they hadn't even said hello to each other. Every time Rory went to, she chickened out. "You try being with him all day." She said quietly, not wanting him to hear

"Fair enough" he said with a nod "Can you lean forward for me Richard?" He asked, holding a strap for his back

Richard muttered something under his breath and leaned forward, letting him strap whatever he needed to on. He hooked both sides onto the machine so the small net like material was carrying his lower back. "Alright, hold onto these" he instructed, pointing to the large rectangle with a semicircle cut in the side for standing. Richard put both arms on the frame, grunting as Tristan turned on the machine which lifted the strap he put on him and forced him up into a standing position. "Do you feel pressure on your left leg?" he asked

Richard nodded "How long do you expect me to stand like this?"

"At least 15 minutes" Tristan said, pulling on the straps, making sure they were secure before turning to Rory, motioning that she could step to the side with him.

"So what happened to him?" he asked

"He had a stroke while he was driving" She said, leaning against the wall

"I'm sorry. That's tough" he said with a sympathetic smile "He's lucky to have you"

Rory smiled, closing her eyes for a few moments, blinking back tears as she thought back to the day that she got the phone call when they found him alive. "Yeah" She said softly, opening her eyes again

"Well if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask…" he offered "If you need to go eat lunch or something I can look after him"

She shook her head "Not really hungry" She said with a small smile

"You should eat" he coaxed "There are a couple vending machines in the break room..." he said with a nod, pointing in the direction

"okay…I'll be back" She said

She walked to the break room and took out a bag of chips before sighing against the wall. This was too much…her grandfather was being as difficult as ever; her mom was busy with the Inn and her current pregnancy…and her grandmother didn't make it. That's what killed her the most, sure she could be a little….eccentric at times but she was still her grandmother. She pushed back the tears that rose and took a deep breath. This wasn't the time or place to be crying…her grandpa needed her.

She walked back into the rehab room where she found Tristan sitting behind the desk doing paperwork "hey" She said, leaning on the counter in front of it

"Hey" he said looking up and smiling at her "he's almost done…just 5 more minutes" he assured

Rory shook her head "Don't worry about it. He's a bit of a drama queen sometimes" she laughed "Well leave him in there until he starts complaining"

Tristan laughed and nodded "Hey listen if he has a book or something to do, it might make it less of a struggle for him. Something to keep his mind off of the pain" he suggested

Rory nodded, pulling a copy of Proust from her purse and walking over to her grandfather "Hey grandpa…do you want something to read?" she asked

Richard nodded "Might as well"

She set the book in front of him and put his glasses on for him before walking back to Tristan "He was nice to me!" she squealed

Tristan raised his eyebrows and laughed "You sound like a kid on Christmas…he's not usually nice to you?"

Rory shook her head "The luck of the draw. His face lights up when he sees my mom…but since I'm with him all day…not so much" she said sadly

"He'll appreciate it later on" Tristan assured "You can come around and sit" he said, pointing to the chair next to him

"Oh that's okay…I don't want to be in the way" she said

"You won't…but he might be there for a while" Tristan said, pointing to her grandfather who was infatuated with the book Rory had given him.

She nodded, walking around the large counter and sitting on the chair behind him. "You're playing solitaire?" she asked incredulously "I thought you were doing work"

Rolling his eyes "I am doing work. He's in the standing frame" he answered

"What would your boss say?" She mock exclaimed

He smirked amused "He wouldn't, I'm the director of the rehab department"

"Well what kind of example are you setting for your colleagues" She joked

He shrugged "I don't know…don't care" he laughed clicking the box shut as he finished the game and the cards started falling.

"You closed the box…that's my favorite part" Rory glared playfully

"So play" he said simply, rolling his chair back

She shook her head "No…too much work."

"See, playing solitaire does count as work" he said triumphantly

"Shouldn't you be checking on my grandfather?" She asked changing the subject

He smiled amused "Somehow I doubt he's going anywhere. Besides, I can see him and he's fine."

"_Tristan what the hell are these 12 hour work days" _they heard a male voice groan. Both turned towards the voice and Tristan raised his eyebrows, shaking his head.

"Well Peter, they wouldn't be 12 hours if you would just do your charts after each patient" he said seriously

"Or maybe we need more therapists" he argued with a small smile

"Or maybe I just need _new_ therapists who do their job" he countered with a laugh

"Alright man…I'm going on my break. You know maybe do some charting…" he said while taking off

"I think he's getting a little antsy" Rory said watching her grandfather fidget

He nodded "2 more minutes" he responded "It's good for him to push his limits a little"

She nodded "Sure as long as you don't have to deal with him afterwards" she exclaimed with a smile

He shrugged "He'll be tired, probably fall right asleep after this"

"Oh thank god" she sighed relieved

"Its just Tristan" he smirked

Rory rolled her eyes "No wait! Don't take him out!" she pleaded jokingly as he walked over to the machine

He laughed and slowly brought the lift back down, putting Richard in a sitting position again before unhooking him and taking the straps off. "How'd that feel?" he asked, coming around the front to talk to him.

"Like a waste of my time." Richard said annoyed making Tristan smile warmly and shake his head

"It'll get better Mr. Gilmore"

"Yes it will, right when you take me back to my room and let me sleep"

"Fair enough" he laughed

Rory watched the interaction between them and was surprised when Tristan wasn't even fazed by her grandfather's rudeness. "Come on grandpa…" she said as she walked with them

"Oh Rory, how nice of you to show up" he said sarcastically "Where were you call day? Out with your grandmother making party arrangements?"

Rory took a deep breath "I've been here with you…"

"Bullpocky." He spat "And where is your grandmother, apparently it's too much to ask to visit your husband in jail"

"You're not in jail…" Rory reasoned

"It sure as hell feels like it" he said just as they reached his room. Tristan shot her a sympathetic look…

"He will appreciate it Rory. Just wait it out" he said after he was finished putting him back in bed.

"Thanks" She said, sitting down on the chair next to his bed

He nodded "Sure. I'll see you tomorrow, and if you ever need to talk…" he said sincerely

She forced a smile and nodded slightly "I'll keep that in mind" responded gratefully

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A/N: So I just had this idea. It could be good, it could be crap. Tell me what you think…I don't know. read and review please!!!


	2. Chapter 2: An unexpected day

I think people are confused about Emily. She is dead. Richard had a stroke which causes memory loss so sometimes he thinks she's still alive….but she is in fact dead.

Chapter 2: An unexpected day

"Hey, how are you?" Tristan asked as he saw Rory walk in the next morning.

She looked up from her cell phone and smiled "Relaxed but that wont last for long. How are you?" she asked, hoping he was their therapist today as well

"I'm alright. Listen I'll come get your grandfather just before lunch so he can be sitting up while he eats" Tristan said making Rory smile inwardly

Rory nodded "Sounds good"

"Alright. I'll see you later then"

She smiled to herself and walked to Richards's room, praying he was asleep. As she walked in, she saw her wish had been granted…he was lying peacefully on his bed fast asleep. Sitting down, she took out a book and began reading, hoping to get some time in before he woke up.

Before she knew it; it was 12:00 and Tristan walked in promptly. "Hey" he greeted "How are we today?" he asked, directing the question at both Richard and Rory.

"You again? I'm not going anywhere" he said petulantly

Tristan chuckled at Rory's fuming features "Relax" he said simply

"Grandpa. I don't know how many times I can say this. You need therapy…so stop acting like a little brat and just do it. For god's sake, it's just 2 hours a day" she snapped exasperated

"Well that was rather rude" Richard said uncertainly.

"Well so are you. Lets go" Rory said, fed up with all of his shit.

Tristan shook his head "I said Relax not have a panic attack" he said amused as he moved to the side of the bed and lowered it down.

"I'm so sick of it…I just cant take it anymore" Rory said defeated, sighing and lowering herself into her chair with a thud making Tristan stop helping Richard and sitting down in the chair next to her

"It gets better" he said with a small shrug and a soft smile "You just have to hang in there."

"But for how long?" She asked desperately blinking tears back "I just lost my grandmother; I go to Yale, my boyfriends an asshole…my mothers pregnant. I just don't know how much more I can take" she whispered

"Take it one day at a time." He advised "Don't think too far ahead, it's not worth the stress" he said shaking his head. "You'll get through this…both of you. As far as I can tell, you have the same stubbornness"

Rory laughed "Thanks" She said with a nod in Richards direction

Tristan shrugged "Don't mention it" he said standing up again.

"Okay, standing frame. A bit longer this time Richard" Tristan announced, wheeling him into the rehab room again. He merely nodded, not having enough strength to fight them anymore.

"You have lunch?" he asked

"Why?" she asked

"Because I thought you might like to eat with me" he said sarcastically

Rory blushed slightly "Oh. Well I'll sit with you, but I didn't really bring anything" She said

"Again?" He asked incredulously "I thought we agreed yesterday and food was important. Come on, since I'm such a gentleman I'll split my sandwich with you" he said in mock annoyance

Rory shook her head "No Tristan, you should eat…its okay" she protested as she sat down at his desk with him.

He unwrapped his sandwich and grabbed a plastic plate before giving it to her "Eat"

"Demanding" Rory muttered, picking up half and taking a bite

"Here" he said, pulling out a bottle of Pepsi from a drawer and grabbing a cup, pouring some for her.

"Thanks…you don't have to do this you know" She said with a small smile

"Well I don't want to be doing therapy on you if you fainted from exhaustion and hurt yourself…something tells me you'd be more difficult than your grandfather" he teased

Rory glared and took another bite of the sandwich "And you were being so civil"

"What's this?" Rory heard a voice ask

"I'm sorry are you lost?" Tristan asked not knowing who this was

Without turning around "Dean what are you doing here?" She asked annoyed

"Well since you're here all day I decided to bring you some lunch. Forgive me for wanting to spend some time with _my_ girlfriend" he retorted

Rory rolled her eyes "Yes Dean. We know I'm _yours_…you chauvinistic caveman" She spat "I'm having lunch with someone who I can stand to talk to right now…you know someone that doesn't think my best friends a raging lunatic, that my grandfather deserves to be alone because I don't spend enough time with my boyfriend, and someone who isn't using me!" She said irritated

Dean scoffed "Right. _I'm_ using you?"

"Intelligent Dean…very intelligent." Rory sneered "I don't wan to talk about this here, so why don't we go home have this oh so civil conversation there"

"Bitch" She heard him mutter before walking out

"Bastard!" She shouted back before closing her eyes and resting her head on her palm not daring to look at Tristan who had just witnessed all of that.

"So uh how's your mother?" he asked changing the subject

Rory looked up at him gratefully "She's good. About 6 more weeks to go…" She said with a smile

"Wow, boy or girl?" he asked

"Boy" Rory said with a smile "I've always wanted an older brother but I think having a younger one would be fun too"

Tristan laughed "Why does the entire female population want an older brother?"

"Because I don't know…it just seems like they would come in handy" she shrugged

"Handy? Is that all we're good for" he mused

"You have a sister?" she asked

"Yeah, she's 3 years younger than me, her name's Chloe" he said proudly, pulling a picture out from his desk and showing it to her

"She's beautiful" Rory commented

"Yeah" he said annoyed "Unfortunately that makes things more difficult"

Rory laughed "This is why we love older brothers…most of the time anyways. They're so adorablely over protective" she teased

Tristan glared "Anyways" he cleared his throat

"Aw come on…"

"What's wrong with your neck" he asked seeing her try to crack it on her own

"Nothing" She answered confused

"Right" He chuckled

"I forgot to bring my medicine, my doctor prescribed me an anti-inflammatory for it" she said

"What happened?"

"Nothing, its weird…for the past 3 years its just bee really bad. Almost every night I get this really bad pain in the back and it starts to give me a migraine so I went to a doctor about it finally."

"She didn't refer you to a neurologist or a physical therapist?" he asked confused

"She did…I went to the neurologist and there's nothing out of the ordinary, he said it might just be tension…" she explained

"And the physical therapist?" he smirked

"Didn't go…" she shrugged "Don't look at me like that…people go to physical therapists after surgery…for something major. Not for a neck ache"

"It could help you know…" he said

"Yeah well…" she trailed off

"Listen I can take a look at it for you if you want" he offered

Rory raised an eyebrow "isn't that illegal or something?"

"Me looking at your neck? No I don't think so…" he said amused

"And then what?" she asked

"Then we can try some ultrasound therapy or Tens therapy" he said

"I guess" she said unsure "Yeah okay…" She said afterwards

"Alright, you going to be here all day?" he asked

"Wait you want to do this today?" she asked "I don't have anything with me…"

"What do you need? You have your neck right?" he teased

"My insurance card…" she trailed off

"Worry about that later. Think of this as a trial run…just fill out a couple forms for _me_. They won't be going to anything…just to make sure that you're not allergic to anything" he explained

"Thank you" Rory said sincerely "Are you sure you won't get in trouble?"

He shook his head "How about 8 tonight?" he asked

"Yeah sure, here?" she asked

He shook his head "It would be illegal if we did it here" He chuckled "I do sessions at my house so I have all the equipment" He said taking out a card and handing it to her

"Oh" She said blushing slightly "Okay yeah that sounds fine. Uhm I'll be right back"

"Where you going?" he asked

"I just need to make a call…ask someone to drop my car off"

"Oh you don't need to do that…" he trailed off "I can take you if you don't mind"

"Are you sure? I don't want you to go out of your way…"

"Don't worry about it." he waved off

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"Hi" Rory said walking into the rehab room at 8:00 sharp, watching as Tristan hooked his bag around his shoulders. He wasn't wearing his scrubs; he was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"Hey" he smiled "Ready?" he asked while shutting down the computer and taking out his keys

Rory nodded "Yup" she said following him out and waiting for him to lock the door before.

"I like your taste in music!" She exclaimed when 'band of horses' began playing

Tristan chuckled as he pulled out of the parking lot "Thank you"

"So what is this ultrasound therapy thing?" she asked slightly nervous

"You're not scared are you?" he asked amused

"I just want to know what it is" she huffed

"Okay" he laughed "It's pretty much a deep heating therapy. It's basically the use of sound waves to warm" he explained

"And the TENS therapy?" she asked

"TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation" he answered

"ELECTRICAL?!" She exclaimed

"Calm down" He said amused "look I'll explain once I figure out what to do okay?"

"I don't like the sound of electrical" She stated

"Its not like I'm going to shock you Rory" he said sarcastically "Don't worry so much…we're here" he said

"Nice place" Rory commented seeing the medium sized house in front of her

"Thanks. You gonna get out of my car?" he teased

"What? Yeah" she said shaking her head trying to wake herself up.

"You want a glass of water or anything?" he asked as they walked in and he set his things down by the door

"No I'm okay" She answered

"Well do you want to get started then?" he asked

"Uh yeah" She said awkwardly pulling at her sleeves as a habit

He chuckled "Follow me" he said leading her to his work room. She looked around; there was a large massage table, a few large balls and a couple of large machines.

"You'll need to change into something else" he pointed out

She looked down confused and realized she was wearing a turtleneck. "Oh I'm sorry…I totally didn't realize I was wearing this."

"That's okay, I have a few shirts handy when patients don't like getting their clothes dirty and things like that so here you go" he said throwing a plain whit tank top at her

"Thanks" She said

"Bathrooms right around the corner" he said "Wait before you go, you have those forms?"

"Yeah" she said grabbing a few pieces of paper from her purse and handing them to him.

"What the hell is that" Rory asked looking terrified as she walked out of the bathroom now dressed in a white tank top. She was pointing at a machine Tristan had rolled out and was next to the massage table. It looked like a crash cart…

He looked up from his position on one of the balls and tore his eyes away from her forms "It's an ultrasound machine" he said confused

"Oh god" she sighed relieved

"What'd you think it was?" he asked

"I thought it was a crash cart!" she exclaimed

He laughed hysterically "I don't think things will be getting that intense…come on" he said motioning her to come closer and rolling a ball out in front of him for her to sit on

She sat down facing him "So what's up"

"You're not allergic to anything? And you've never had surgery right?" he asked wanting to make sure

She nodded "Correct"

"And you don't have a pre-existing condition that I should know about?"

"Nope…well I mean I broke my wrist in the 6th grade but I hardly think that's relevant" she laughed

"You're right. Okay so hop on, face down" he said pointing to the table

"Okay" she said and awkwardly climbed onto the table, laying face down. She felt him move her hair over her head so it was all off her neck before placing his hand there. She tried not to jump at the sensation but ended up visibly flinching making him chuckle.

"Relax" he said "could you move forward a little? You look like you cant breath" he laughed

She smiled lightly and shifted forward so her head was fully in the designated cushion.

"Okay" he said taking one of her arms and placing it straight along her side, palm up. "Keep your arms like that" he told her before moving back up to her neck. She felt his fingers digging small circles into it, pressing a little harder each time. She sucked in a breath as it became painful and he muttered an apology but held that place. "It could just be a spasm" he said pushing down on that point again nodding when she cringed. "Anywhere else?" he asked

"The other side" she mumbled

"It just feels really stiff…" he commented

"Okay let's try the ultrasound therapy…" he said rolling the cart over

"Uhh…" she protested

"Don't worry about it. Its painless…it feels really good actually" he assured "Okay this might be cold" he said squirting the gel onto her neck and making sure it was fully covered.

"Calm down" he soothed "It doesn't hurt I promise…" seeing her shoulders tense when she heard the machine turn on

God Rory get a grip. She told herself…she was acting like a 3 year old. Willing herself to relax she took a few deep breaths and relaxed her shoulders.

"Here we go" he informed her as he placed a paddle on her neck and moved it in small slow circles over her skin making it tingle. "Hows that? Too intense?" he asked

"No its fine" She mumbled, enjoying the relaxing sensations.

"Can I turn it up a little?" he asked

"Yeah" she answered "this feels good…"

"I told you" He laughed "Tell me if it gets too intense alright?"

"It's fine right now" She said

"How's that feel?" he asked about 10 minutes later as he shut off the machine and took a damp cloth, wiping the gel off

She sat up and moved her neck around a little "good actually" she said smiling

Tristan smiled "Good…" he said

"So how much do you usually charge?" she asked

Narrowing his eyes at her, he shook his head "For you? Nothing as long as you promise to eat lunch with me everyday" he smirked

"Tristan…" she protested

"Don't worry about it." he shrugged

"But I feel bad not paying…" she said

"Why?" he asked "I enjoy your company…you just get a bonus" he smiled

"Fine…" she relented "But this was your choice"

"Yes" he said sarcastically "You're easy…took 10 minutes, why should you pay for that?"

She shrugged "Would you charge them if it was someone else?" she asked

"Yeah" he said truthfully

"Then there you go"

"Fine you can buy me dinner" he said charmingly

"Smooth…" she rolled her eyes

"Is that a no?" he asked raising an eyebrow "I mean I give you a $250 dollar session of therapy for free and you say no to dinner? Such manners" he teased

Rory laughed and nodded "Alright…dinner sounds good actually. I'm starving"

"Alright, I'll let you change and then we can go"

"I _am_ paying Tristan" Rory called out

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"Fancy Gilmore" Tristan commented as they entered a funky hip restaurant

"You like Chinese right?" she asked as a lady took their coats

"Love it" he said "2 please" he told the reception

"This feels oddly like a date" Rory said slyly

"That's because it is" Tristan smirked picking up the menu placed in front of him

Rory blushed slightly "You ready to order?" She asked

He raised an eyebrow "You're ready? We just got the menus"

"Well I usually just order everything that looks good…" she trailed off

"Excuse me?" he sputtered

"Yeah, one time me and my mom ordered the entire chicken menu from Chinese take-out"

"Ambitious" He said surprised

"Well we try" she laughed "So what do you say, order whatever you think looks good and I'll do the same"

"Sounds good" he said laughing in disbelief

"So what made you come?" he asked after they had ordered

"Sorry?" she asked confused

"With me, tonight. You don't seem like the stupid type who would go home with just about anybody…so what made you come?" he smirked

"I'm not the stupid type thank you" She said slightly bewildered that he would ask "And I don't know…I mean I've seen you around for a couple weeks, and _you_ don't seem like the pedophile rapist type" she teased

He nodded "Well I'm not" He said simply "I mean I'm glad you came" he reiterated making her smile

"Yeah?"

"Definitely" he said with a grin

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A/N: There you go, Please please please review…I love them, you know that. Anyways, I'm working on the next chapter so if you have any suggestions or ideas, I'm open! I hope you liked it…


	3. Chapter 3: Dave Eggars and bunny rabbits

Chapter 3: Dave Eggars and Bunny rabbits

* * *

The dinner arrived, the waiter looking slightly amused and scared at the same time at how much food they ordered. "We like variety" Rory stated, used to getting looks like that

Tristan rose an eyebrow at her "You seem oddly comfortable with people looking at us like we could end world hunger with the amount of food we ordered"

"I am oddly comfortable" She said confidently "You'll know once you meet my mother" she explained offhandedly making him smirk

"So I'm meeting your mother? I'd say it's a little soon but I'm up for it" He teased

Rory blushed right on cue "Shut up" She muttered now realizing what she had said, and took a bite of her food.

"Good?" She asked

He nodded eagerly "Really good. Wonder why I haven't been here sooner" he said surprised

"Wow Brazil is big?" she said squinting her eyes at a poster that was located behind Tristan

He raised an eyebrow in amusement "Well, yes Brazil is a rather large country" he said befuddled

Rory shook her head "No, I was looking at the poster behind you sorry" she said "God our president is an idiot" she said now seeing the poster she was looking at was a Bushisms poster.

"I happen to like him" Tristan said with a straight face

Rory sat back a little "oh well…that's okay" she said avoiding his eyes not wanting to think she was trying to offend him

He smirked inwardly at her reaction and decided to toy with her a bit "I mean what did he do wrong? Sure he's no Roosevelt, but he was a better candidate than Gore" he said harshly

Rory nodded "Uhm sure" She said not wanting to get into a political debate with someone she didn't know very well

"Sure? That's all you have to say for yourself? You called the leader of our country an idiot. What you think _you_ could do a better job?" he went on narrowing his eyes at her

Rory gaped at him. She was civil…she didn't want to get into it at a restaurant on their first date. "Look I don't want to get into it" She said politely

"Well I do" He stated, trying in vain not to laugh hysterically at her confused and slightly disappointed expression "He's doing his best…no one's perfect"

"Tristan!" Rory exclaimed, glaring at him when he began laughing hysterically, un able to hold it in any longer "You're an idiot you know that!" she huffed annoyed

"I'm sorry" He got out through his rolls of laughter "But you should have seen your face. Like you actually offended me or something"

Rory fought the smile that came to her lips but ended up giving in the end. "Mean" She huffed

"It was funny…" he reasoned when his laughter died down

* * *

"I can't believe you actually paid" Tristan grumbled as he led them back to the car

Rory smirked triumphantly "I told you I would"

"Made me look ridiculous" he muttered under his breath

"Hey. It was your idea to let me take you out to dinner" She said with a smile as she got into the car

"Yeah yeah" he said annoyed "Where do you live?" he asked

"Well uh. New York" She said sheepishly

Tristan's eyes widened "New York?" he asked incredulously. "And you commute everyday?"

Rory nodded fighting back the urge to laugh "Yup"

"You're lying. You suck at this" he said after studying her eyes

Rory pouted "Fine. But I really do live in New York. I'm just staying in Stars Hollow right now"

"Ahh. Okay" he said turning the car on "So does your mom know you went out with a strange man that you've talked to maybe 6 or 7 times?" he asked

Rory shook her head "No but if she knew, she'd be proud" she laughed

Tristan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and momentarily took his eyes off the road and turned to her "Explain"

"She's odd. Trust me, she's even weirder than I am" she said

"And explain why the nice men in white suits haven't come yet?" he teased

"I don't know" she shrugged looking out the window "How do you know where Stars Hollow is?" she asked

He shrugged "I just know the area well"

"So tell me something about yourself" she said

"Like what" he said amused

"Well you know so much about me…and I know nothing about you, except for your profession and your undying love for our president" She teased

"I hate the man" he stated with a laugh "And what else do you need to know? I give kick ass massages and I'm a loyal democrat" he smirked

"I want one!" She exclaimed

"Want one what?" he asked confused

"A massage" She stated "It's my favorite thing, next to coffee…and a few other things" she waived off

Tristan smirked "Well I'd be happy to give you one…just not now, we're here" he laughed

Rory grinned "turn left here and then just keep going straight" she said as the entered Stars hollow

"So thanks for looking at my neck" She said when he pulled up to her house

He nodded "No problem. Thanks for dinner" he grinned

"Well maybe next time, you can pay" she laughed

"I _will_ pay next time" he stated

"Well, goodnight" she said

"I'll see you tomorrow" he smiled

* * *

"Mr. Gilmore" Tristan chided as he walked into his room and saw that the man had thrown a leg over the railing of the bed

Richard grunted "You again" he stated

Tristan smirked "Leg please" he said looking down at it

He mumbled something under his breath and lifted it off the railing and put it back down

Tristan looked pleased "You have a lot of movement in that leg…you've been holding out on me" he said with a smile

"I don't have much incentive" he growled

"Well…" Tristan trailed off "Once I give the okay, you _are_ allowed to roll around these grounds…"

"And what would I want to do here?" Richard asked raising an eyebrow, even though the sound of getting out of that room sounded appealing

"We've got plenty to do. Lots of activities, you could eat dinner with everyone else…watch movies, we have a library" he listed off

"Okay lets go" he said slightly irritated

Just then Rory walked in holding a bag of chips "Oh hey" she said to Tristan with a small smile

He turned to her and smiled back "hey how are you?"

"Good, hungry but good" she laughed

"Why do you insist on forgetting lunch everyday?" he sighed

She shrugged "What would I bring for lunch…"

"uhh a salad?" he tried confused at her disgusted look

"That's rabbit food" she stated

"A sandwich?" he asked

"If I could make a sandwich without it literally tasting like sand, sure" she retorted

Tristan's jaw went slack "You can't make a sandwich?" he asked incredulously

Rory blushed "Shut up"

"Rory could you two stop verbally copulating so I could get a move on?" Richard snapped

Rory's eyes widened _he wanted to go to rehab?_ "Okay what did you do to him?" she demanded

Tristan smirked "Just has some incentive now that's all" he said looking at Richard "you want to try walking today?" he asked

"Yes if we ever get out of this room" he said

"Meet you for lunch?" he asked Rory

"I'll come with…" she said

"No" he shook his head "He gets worked up when you're there. Just relax for a while and we'll be back in an hour" he said

She nodded, slightly disappointed "Alright" she agreed

Rory sighed as she sat back in the chair she had been sitting in all day. She tried immersing herself in a book but she couldn't stop thinking about _him_. 'God' she muttered to herself 'it's like a curse.' Groaning, she closed her book and stuck it back in her purse before tucking it safely away in a drawer and walking out the door, towards the rehab room. She would just stand at the door and watch…she wouldn't interrupt. She smiled when she saw Tristan roll him into the parallel bars and lock his wheelchair into place.

He seemed so focused, it was cute. She studied him for the first time, closely, happy that he was too distracted to notice her. His hair was the perfect shade of blonde, and it was mussed to perfection, looking like he had just gotten out of bed and rolled his fingers through it. She watched his muscles flex under the dark blue scrubs he was wearing and groaned to herself. The man was the definition of the word 'hot.' She thought back to last night where he had her blushing like a school girl…she hadn't been with anyone who had made her feel that way since…well ever. She was usually confident…he had a way of making her feel at ease and nervous all at once.

"He is a sight to look at isn't he?" A woman came up behind her and commented. Rory jumped in surprise not knowing anyone was watching her. She turned around to greet the intruder and smiled when she saw she was a therapist as well.

"He's great" Rory said "Does well with my grandpa"

"He's one of the best" the woman commented "Oh I'm Cathy by the way" she said with a smile and held out her hand

"Rory" She said, smiling and shaking the woman's hand. The woman was slightly older than she was, with dirty blonde hair and a mature face. "Nice to meet you"

"Your grandfathers doing well, a little under motivated but I can see Tristan fixed that" Cathy said

Rory laughed and nodded "Yeah" She said softly, watching her grandpa attempt to walk

"Well if you're going to stand there and watch, you might as well help" Tristan smirked from across the room

Rory froze, how the hell did he know she was there?! She asked herself. Sighing she smiled nervously and walked towards them, tripping on a misplaced exercise ball on the way. She landed on the hard floor with a thud and closed her eyes as pain shot through her shoulders and neck from her arms bracing her fall. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment as she saw the few people that were in the room turn her attention on her.

Immediately Tristan pulled the wheelchair under Richard and sat him down before making his way towards Rory. "You okay?" he asked concerned, helping her get up

Rory nodded, her right arm clutching the back of her neck "Fine" She muttered her cheeks cherry red.

"Don't you all have work to do?" he asked amused as everyone looked on. "Come on" he said, leading her over to a chair

"I'm fine" she insisted, massaging her neck some

"The floor is hard tile Rory." He sighed "You sure you're okay?" he asked again

"_Fine_" she stated again with a small smile and stood up, walking over to where her grandpa was patiently waiting "What do you want me to do?"

"Hold his left arm to the bar, and slide it with him as he walks…he's not moving that arm at all" Tristan instructed, getting in front of him again. Tristan was reasonably shorter than Richard, well most everyone was. Yet Rory watched in amazement as he supported most of his weight as he lifted him up off the wheelchair.

The rest of the day was slightly uncomfortable for Rory, the fall had irritated her already injured neck and back and she found it hard to concentrate on anything else. Sighing she tried bending her shoulder blades back together, trying to crack them in vain but nothing worked. Groaning, she took out a bottle of Advil and popped 2 in her mouth. It was only 4, she didn't know if she could wait.

"You coming back today?" Tristan asked a few hours later, leaning against the door frame of her grandfather's room where she sat staring out into space, every once in a while taking the marker that was next to her and trying to ease the pain in her neck. She roughly pushed against the back of her neck and moved it in circles, sighing in relief as it eased the pain some.

"Don't do that!" he exclaimed walking over and taking the marker from her "Come on" he muttered, pulling her up

"I want that back. It's the only thing that kept me surviving today. I feel like stabbing a pencil into the side of my neck!" She ranted "Or a steel rod, that would be better…it wouldn't break"

He looked at her like she was insane and dragged her out of the room, making sure Richard was sleeping and turning out the light on the way. Ignoring her protests he led her out to the parking lot. "You have you car today?" he asked

She shook her head "No, my mom comes to pick me up when he's asleep since my cars in New York" she explained

"Get in" he said

"Tristan…" she sighed

"In" He said again and opened the door for her shaking his head when she eventually got into the car

"You hurt yourself pretty badly?" he asked while they were driving towards his house

She nodded grimly "It's not terrible but ugh. Not even Advil took the edge off" she said annoyed

"Well you should have said something"

"When?" she asked incredulously "And what were you going to do?"

He shrugged "I could have tried _something_"

"Well it doesn't matter anymore" she said

"Right, lets go" he said parking the car "You want something to drink?"

She nodded, she was starving. They hadn't had lunch today because he had a staff meeting and all she had was that bag of chips "And food?" she asked weakly with a sheepish smile

Rolling his eyes in amusement he took a look inside his fridge and threw her a can of soda "what do you want to eat?"

"Uh…it doesn't matter. What do you have?" she asked

"Take a look" he said

"Sandwich!"

"Okay you're going to learn how to make one" he stated, still amused that she couldn't.

Rory nodded eagerly as he took everything out of his fridge. "I can make a sandwich" she started "They just don't taste very good"

"How do you mess up a sandwich? Anything tastes good on bread…hell people but bananas on bread and eat it!'

She shrugged and went to sit on his couch, picking up the remote and turning the TV on.

"I thought you were going to learn how to make a sandwich" he laughed

"It's taking too long" she said with a grin

"What are you watching?" he asked, handing the sandwich to her a few minutes later and sitting down next to her

She shrugged "Nothings on"

He stole the remote from her as she began eating and flipped through the stations, finally pausing on a football game. "They lose" She said with a full mouth

Tristan glared "The point of watching was to figure that out…"

"Yeah well I was bored at the rehab center" She said "And I watched the game…we lose badly"

Sighing he flipped through the channels again, turning it off when he found nothing. "Finished?" he asked when he saw her now empty plate. Nodding she stood up with him and placed the plate in the sink.

"So" she said leaning against the counter, sipping her soda

"So" he raised an eyebrow "You wanna take me up on that massage?" he grinned

Rory grinned as well and nodded "You're my new favorite person" she said sweetly as she followed him into the room they were in the day before.

"You realize you'll have to take all your clothes off" he said with a straight face

Rory's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out "uh..."

Tristan laughed at her expression "Don't worry, I'll give you a towel" he teased

"You're serious" she stated when he went to the closet and pulled out a large white robe and towel "And why do you have robes?!"

"Because I like them?" he said in contemplation "No, it must be because of my work…"

"You're really giving me a full on massage" She asked incredulously "Like for free?!" these things cost a lot of money…

"I can recede the offer" he said with a smirk

"You just want me to take my clothes off" she accused

He shrugged, smirk still in place "It's a plus'

"You're lucky I really like massages" She muttered and took the things from him, walking into the bathroom

Coming back out a few minutes later, she saw he had placed a few things on the table next to the massage table she would be lying on. It looked like an assortment of oils and an oil warmer. "You do this a lot" she raised an eyebrow, getting his attention

"Sometimes. It's relaxing" he said

Rory nodded and stood next to the table "Well aren't you going to leave so I can get comfortable" She stated

He pouted "Sad" he mumbled and walked out of the room, closing the door to give her some privacy. She undid her robe; the towel wrapped around her lower body and quickly laid down on the table, and draped the towel over her lower back, making sure everything was covered when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in" she said, sighing and laying her head to the side

He came in and smiled "Lets do this first, and then we can get to the good stuff" he said pointing to the machine they had used the day before

Rory nodded "Fine with me" she said

He repeated the same process they did the day before, smiling when he heard her sigh and relax into a soft lull. Quietly he put everything away and tied her hair up gently. He took some oil in his hands and rubbed it together, warming it and placing his hands on her upper back making her flinch at the unexpected contact. Slowly he started massaging his thumbs in small circles, feeling her relax more with every minute. She let out a moan of appreciation when he began kneading her shoulders back and forth. He frowned "Have you ever had an MRI done about these neck pains Rory?" he asked

She shook her head and he could feel her stiffen almost immediately "Relax" He drawled out, resuming the slight pressure on her shoulders "I think you should have one done just incase. Your shoulders are pretty tight"

"And that means…" She trailed off

"It could mean nothing, most of the time it doesn't mean anything. But sometimes it could be pretty serious" he said

"I was supposed to get an MRI done" she sighed

"And…"

"And I'm claustrophobic" she said seriously "I refused, as soon as I saw the machine"

"And they didn't sedate you with valium?" he asked

"They said they could but I didn't want them to" She said softly

"Ah" he understood "Its no big deal, I mean a lot of people hate MRI's" he said trying to make her feel more comfortable

"Thanks" She said softly and moaned in delight when his hand hit just the right spot

He laughed and took note of that, paying special attention to that spot. After covering her entire back in small kneading massages he ran his thumb directly along her spine, applying pressure and moved them all the way up, repeating the process several times.

"Oh my god you're amazing" She groaned sleepily making him grin. "I feel like I should be tipping you as you go along or something" She mumbled

Rory reveled in the feeling of his hands caressing her painful joints, he was perfect…god why didn't she meet him sooner? She was slightly apprehensive about this given that she was painfully attracted to him but once he got started, her body had no choice but to relax.

"Rory" he said, stopping his ministrations thinking she was asleep. She hadn't made a sound or stirred in over 5 minutes.

"Hmmm" She hummed happily

He chuckled and resumed what he was doing "I thought you fell asleep on me"

"I'm about to" She said with a sigh and shifted her body some "Where'd you learn to do this?"

"School" he said with a shrug

"Damn." She mumbled happily making him laugh

"Okay enough of that" He teased and stopped his moving hands

She groaned and opened her eyes, still glazed over in happiness to glare at him "Please?" she pouted

He sighed and moved down to her legs "You're lucky you're so hot" He muttered to himself

"Oh my god" She moaned "Who knew a leg massage could feel so good"

He rolled his eyes at her "You're getting way too comfortable"

"And you don't have a girlfriend tucked away somewhere?!" She asked teasingly

He shook his head "Nah"

"Idiots" She murmured

"You can go take a shower, I'll make something to eat?" he offered helping her up as she held the towel to her chest

She nodded still in a daze making him chuckle "Wake up!" he said loudly snapping his fingers in front of her face

"Huh" She snapped her head up to his "I'm awake"

'Yeah I can see that, shower." He stated

* * *

"So I hope you like Pasta…I got lazy" he stated when he saw her come walk into the kitchen

Rory smiled "Who doesn't like pasta?" standing behind him while he mixed some sort of sauce in. He looked behind him and pursed his lips, raising an eyebrow.

"Stand back" he stated

"Why?" She asked confused

"Because you can't make a sandwich, something tells me you don't have the best track record with stoves either" he said with a grin

Glaring she walked backwards and sat down at one of the kitchen stools "How'd you know" she huffed

He shrugged "It's not hard to know someone doesn't cook when they don't know how to make a sandwich"

"You're never letting that go are you" she rolled her eyes "And like I said, I can make a sandwich. Just not a fancy one. I mean who can't make peanut butter and jelly!"

"Fine" he contemplated "Come stir the sauce"

Rory's eyes widened and she shook her head "Sandwich doesn't require heat." She stated "And I'm actually hungry"

"I'll never understand you" he chuckled

"Well you think you can handle taking some plates out?" he asked

She nodded "yeah sure, where are they?"

"Top cupboard" he pointed

Once Rory finished setting the table she sat back down blushing as her stomach growled. Tristan smirked "Hungry?" he asked knowingly, bringing the pot off the stove and setting it down on the table

She nodded "Yeah, this looks great"

"Good" he smiled

* * *

"Oh that's my cell" Rory groaned as they sat and watched some TV after they finished dinner. She got up and grabbed her purse, digging around until she found it. "Hello" She answered quickly thinking she would miss the call

"_Ah so you're still alive" Lorelai stated_

"Sorry mom" Rory said sheepishly forgetting to tell her she'd be home late

"_Eh I was just worried" She waived off "Where are you? With the cute therapist I assume" _

Rory blushed crimson at her comment "Mom!" she chided; he was just in the other room

"_Tell me I'm wrong" She challenged_

"Fine. Yes."

"_Yes what?" she asked evilly_

"Mom he can hear me" Rory hissed

"_Well you didn't call, had me worried sick. Yes what?"_

"Yes mom, I'm with Tristan" she said dryly rolling her eyes at him when he looked in her direction, hearing his name

"_Who's Tristan?" she went on relentlessly_

"Grandpa's therapist" she answered shortly

"_Oh the cute one?"_

"Yes mom." She stated annoyed

_Lorelai laughed at her irritation and gave up "Fine fine. Spoil sport, I need details when you get home…__**if**__you get home"_

"I'll be home later" she stated and hung up, not waiting for a goodbye. Walking back into the living room she threw her phone on the table and leaned back into the couch with a sigh

"Your mom?" he asked knowingly

She nodded "She's a lot to handle sometimes" she laughed

"She alright?" he asked turning his attention back to the screen "I can drop you off if you need to go"

"No" she said quickly, realizing how desperate she sounded when he turned to her with an amused smirk planted on his lips

"I mean…like I said. I need some sanity" she saved herself, cursing under her breath

He raised his eyebrows and grinned, as if knowing her thoughts "Alright" he shrugged

"I have a question" Rory said seriously, avoiding his eyes

He turned to her, hearing the seriousness in her voice and furrowed his eyebrows, waiting for her to continue.

"About my grandpa…" She started taking a deep breath "Does he have a chance? I mean…will he ever walk again?"

Tristan sighed "Rory…" he said like he shouldn't be telling her this "It's different for everyone. There's no set recovery period. Sometimes it takes months, sometimes it takes years, it depends" he explained, trying to make her understand "For me to say that there's no hope or all the hope in the world would be a lie. Because it can change. If he stays motivated, then yeah, he has a pretty good chance. He's still somewhat young, and is pretty healthy…there's no reason why he shouldn't come out of this. But the problem with rehab centers, is that people get really lonely…they fall into depression, which is a hard thing to come out of; it's hard to work with"

Rory nodded and smiled softly "Thanks"

He groaned inwardly to himself, knowing he shouldn't be saying this. But he couldn't help it; he wanted to make her feel better…seeing her crestfallen expression at his explanation didn't help. "I have a feeling he's going to be fine though…" he said optimistically

Rory laughed quietly "I know you're just saying that to make me feel better"

He smiled despite himself "I'm that bad huh?"

"You're fibbing skills need work"

"Yeah I'll get right on that"

"Good, so let's do something fun…" she stated

"Like…" he trailed off seeing the wicked look in her eye

She shot up from the couch and sauntered over to the kitchen, leaving him confused as ever. He heard her rummaging through his cabinets and finally stood up to help her find whatever she was looking for.

"What are you looking for?" he asked amused when he saw her let out a frustrated groan

"Your alcohol" She stated "You have to have _something_"

He raised an eyebrow and walked over to a large cabinet above the fridge and opened it, revealing everything you would need to start your own bartending business. Rory squealed and ran over, inspecting the cabinet before pointing to what she wanted. "Please" She stated

He sighed and took down the large bottle of tequila, handing it to her before taking down a couple of shot glasses.

"Good lets go" she said, running back into the living room

"Wait hold on there" he stated as she opened the bottle

Pausing she looked up, he was standing in the doorway with a small smile playing on his lips "if we're drinking, call your mom and tell her you're crashing here tonight" he stated seriously

Rolling her eyes "Such a spoilsport" she muttered teasingly, dialing her mom's number

"Forgive me if I like to be responsible" he said sarcastically, sitting on the floor with her.

"_Daughter speak" Lorelai stated_

"Hey I'm crashing at Tristan's tonight" Rory said

"…_." Silence_

"Mom?" Rory asked confused

"_Rory" She stated uneasily "Are…you don't know him"_

Rory rolled her eyes "Mom, call Luke over. Come on, you can't honestly say you haven't missed him"

"_Okay" she said still a little miffed "But if I find you hacked into small pieces…do you still want to be buried? Or cremated?"_

"Cremated" Rory stated before hanging up

"You and your mother have morbid conversations" Tristan muttered staring at her intently

Rory laughed and shook her head "She's one of a kind. Now I tend to get a little…obsessed. So cut me off after like 5" she chuckled

He rose an eyebrow at her "You want me to _stop_ you from doing something? No, lets clarify you want me to _stop_ you from doing something while you're drunk? I can't get you to do anything when you're sober" he exclaimed in amusement

Rory glared and shoved a shot glass in his direction "Shut up" she stated and poured him one. "I deserve to get drunk…at least halfway there" she said "I mean seriously? My grandfathers in the hospital, or rehab center…whatever" she shook her head "My mothers pregnant, and is more of a nut job than usual, not that I don't love her" She added quickly "My boyfriend, or sorry...soon to be ex boyfriend is a complete and total ass. Yeah, I'd say I really want to get drunk" She ranted

"Well okay then" he said with wide eyes at her ramble and threw his glass back, swallowing the bitter liquid

"Okay no more for me" Rory said pushing her glass away after a few more "I want to stay sober"

He chuckled and nodded, standing up and putting the things on the kitchen counter before returning to Rory who had sprawled herself out on the couch like she owned the place.

"Comfortable?" he asked amused, going to sit in the small arm chair next to it

She lifted her head a little and nodded "Very" she sighed

"Come on, lets get you to bed" he sighed when she shook her head

"I'm _fine_" she insisted "Don't you have work tomorrow?" she asked confused

He nodded with a small smile "Yeah, don't you have to see your grandfather tomorrow?" he retorted mockingly

"Well so do you" she stated "And let me tell you, he's probably not going to be that nice"

"Give him time" Tristan said simply

"You're nice" Rory blubbered out without thinking

"Thank you" he chuckled

"No really." She insisted

"Well it's what I strive for" he said amused "You already feeling it?"

She nodded and closed her eyes in relief "Yes and its amazing. I love this feeling"

"I'm sure" he said stifling a laugh "We should really get some sleep though"

"Fine" She sighed and swung her legs over the couch "where's the guest room?"

He pointed down the hall "Right there, I'm guess you don't want to wear those to bed" he said

She shook her head in the negative and he laughed "Come on" he motioned for her to follow

He led her into his room and handed her a pair of shorts and a wife beater "you can wear these"

Rory looked around the large bedroom and smiled. It was _him_. It reminded her of him… "I like your room" she commented looking around

"Thanks" he answered

"I'm gonna take a shower" he said "But feel free to look around if you want…"

"Okay, thanks" Rory smiled, watching him retreat into his bathroom

She walked around the large room, it was very spacious. It was painted the perfect shade of green to give it a modern look, yet not over power it and the complementing colors were all black and white. She walked over to his dresser and smiled at the picture frames that rested atop it. She almost laughed out loud seeing a 6 or 7 year old Tristan holding up his pet rabbit, he looked so proud of it. Skimming the photos for a few minutes longer, she moved on to his bookshelf.

"Dave Eggars…" she said to herself, impressed by his taste. She obviously didn't realize how long she had stood there looking through his books because before she knew it, she heard the bathroom door click open and gaped openly as he walked out with just a towel around his waist.

"I thought you'd be in bed by now" he said surprised

"Uh…I" she stuttered

"Yes…" he smirked in amusement

"I was looking at your books" she said nervously, trying not to stare at his perfectly toned abs, and tried to keep her eyes from wandering lower as small beads of water disappeared under the towel. Was it her? Or was it getting really hot in that room. "Dave Eggars..Good taste" she said walking backwards towards the door

"You keep walking backwards and you'll hit my lamp" he stated stifling a laugh

Cocking her head to the side she saw he was right and changed her route "Well, I'm tired" she said trying to yawn for emphasis "Goodnight" sighing in relief as she quickly shut the door behind her

"Rory Gilmore" He chuckled shaking his head "You're something…"

* * *

"Rory! Come on wake up" Tristan shouted as he knocked on the guest room door

"I'm coming I'm coming!" Rory groaned, as she emerged from the bathroom

"Ro-"

"I'm here!" She snapped opening the door

"I thought you were still asleep" he sputtered obviously surprised she was awake and dressed

"Yeah I got that. What was next, alerting the National Guard?" She rolled her eyes while drying her hair "Do you have a hair dryer?" she asked

"Yes. Because my hair takes forever to dry" he pointed out sarcastically

"Just a question" she muttered "when do we leave?"

"Whenever you're ready" he said

"I'm ready; just let me grab my bag"

"You want something to eat?" he called out as she ran into her room to grab her things

"Coffee?" she requested

"We'll stop at starbucks on the way" he said, glancing at the time

"Aren't you their boss? You can be late" she teased as he practically pushed her out the door

"No I have conference in exactly 43 minutes" he stated

"It takes 20 to get there" She said incredulously as they got into his car

"You need coffee, and I need to review my notes before I go in there" he explained

"Right. Sorry then" she said

"It's fine."

* * *

"What's the best way to get rid of old mans butt?" Rory heard her grandfather's roommate ask Tristan a few days later

She looked up from the book she was reading and glanced at Tristan, who was struggling not to laugh hysterically "I'm sorry?" he asked amused, sneaking a glance at Rory

"My butt. I want it back" he old man repeated

"Well" he started, clearing his throat a little "The mini squats we've been doing are great for that" he said as seriously as possible

"What the hell?" he mouthed to Rory who merely grinned in response

"Richard" Tristan greeted when he was done with his other patient

"Hello" he replied before closing his eyes again

Tristan grinned "Don't even think about it" he stated when he saw Rory was about to reply to her grandfathers rudeness

She glared and sat down again, watching as Tristan lowered Richards's bed. "How are you?" he asked Rory

Rory shrugged "Tired, you?"

"Not too bad. What's with the wrist?" he asked, just now noticing the cast as her sleeve rolled up

"Car accident" She stated, making him stop what he was doing

"What!" he exclaimed "You alright?"

Rory smiled sadly "Fine. My ass of a boyfriend was driving" she said annoyed "Sorry, ex-boyfriend"

Tristan scowled, ever since that little show he put on the other day, he despised Dean "you sure you're alright?"

Rory nodded "My neck's really sore but it'll be fine" she said smiling at his concern for her

"I'll help you with that later" he said going back to what he was doing

"It's okay Tristan, really" she brushed off

"Its whiplash, and it could take a while to heal if you do nothing" he said "Humor me"

Rory nodded "Alright fine" she relented.

* * *

A/N: Okay so that took forever right? I'm sorry, I've been lagging…but I'm back! Lol, I don't know for how long until my crazy insane life pulls me in again. But heres the next chapter, review please :) maybe I'll have more incentive to write.


	4. Chapter 4: Open backed

Chapter 4: Open backed

* * *

"Good job Gilmore, all my hard work just went down the drain" he smirked, leaning against the door frame to her grandfathers room

Rory looked up from the book she was reading and fixed him a confused stare, making him chuckle. "The accident" he stated "You just made your neck worse"

Rory laughed "Yeah well…" She trailed off

"So you leaving this place any time soon or have you been admitted as well?" he grinned

Rory glanced at the time and gasped "I didn't realize it was so late" she exclaimed

"Yeah I figured that out" he chuckled "Come on, lets go"

"Go?" she asked out loud "Go where"

"Well you promised you'd let me take a look at your neck" he reminded her

"You know, you could just ask me out on a date. You don't have to keep _pretending_ to try and fix me" she teased, gathering her things up

Tristan rolled his eyes "As I recall, I did as you out on a date. And you ended up paying"

"You said I could!" she shot back

"Made me look like a moron" he stated "Now come on"

"Alright alright" she muttered, following him out "Bye Janice" She said to the sweet old lady who was rolling herself around in her wheelchair

"Bye Rory" the lady smiled

Tristan raised his eyebrows in her direction, an amused smile threatening to appear on his lips "You spend way too much time here" he commented

Rory shrugged "probably. So I'll meet you at your place?" she asked

He nodded "Yeah sounds good. You know how to get there?" he asked

She nodded "Been there enough times" she rolled her eyes as they walked out into the parking lot

"You say that as if you weren't willing every time…" he responded

"Oh I was" she grinned, while opening her door "So I'll see you in 20"

"Drive safe" he stated, watching her pull out of the parking lot as he got into his own car.

* * *

"Hey, you get lost?" he asked when she finally showed up at his door almost 20 minutes after he had arrived

She smiled sheepishly, walking in and holding her star bucks cup up at him "Got thirsty"

"Thanks for asking" he teased

"Oh, did you want something?" she asked

"Yeah a lot of good that does now" he scoffed

"Don't be such a baby" she rolled her eyes "You can have some of mine if you want"

"No that's alright" he laughed "How do you drive with one hand and drink coffee at the same time" he asked narrowing his eyes at her

"Carefully?" she laughed nervously under his scrutinous gaze

Tristan's eyes widened and he frowned "That's pretty dangerous" he pointed out

Rory smiled "Don't worry, I learned my lesson. Which is why the coffee is completely full, and untouched."

"Good. Keep it that way" he said, sighing and leaning back against the couch

"So you got any food?" She asked innocently

Tristan rolled his eyes and stood up with a grunt "every time" he muttered as he walked to his kitchen. "What do you want?"

"Whatever you have. I'm not picky" she answered

"Yeah yeah…" he muttered "Not picky…you'd eat dog food if I gave it to you" he rambled quietly while taking out a few tubs from his fridge

"I heard that" Rory glared from her position in the living room "And I have to agree. My friend got these organic pumpkin dog treats, and they taste great"

Tristan almost choked on air "You eat dog treats? What…you roll over for it?"

"You know wha-" She started angrily, shutting up when he shoved a plate of food in her hands, rolling his eyes when she stopped what she was going to say and began eating.

"Tristan?" she asked, mouth half full

"Hmm" he hummed in confusion

"What's your phone number?" She asked with a small laugh that matched his.

He laughed and called her number from his phone "I work at the care center your grandfathers at" he explained when she shot him a look

"Right" She muttered, saving his number

"So how long are you in that cast?" he asked with a small smile

"Just for a few weeks." She answered "it's not too bad…"

"Your boyfriend put you in a cast. That's filed under bad" he stated not liking this guy one bit. He was ridiculous…

Rory smiled a little; almost as if she knew something he didn't "Jealous?"

"Worried" he shot back

"Don't worry. It's over" She said with a sigh "And it doesn't hurt too bad…they gave me some painkillers"

"Here" he said in a slightly hesitant fashion as he handed her a blue slip of paper. Furrowing her eyebrows, she put the plate of food on the coffee table in front of her and took it from his hand, staring at it and shaking her head once she read what it said.

"Tri-"

"You have to get it checked out Rory. He's the best neurologist in the state." He interrupted

"I already went to a neurologist" She said indignantly

"Then what's the problem of going to one again? You need a referral for an MRI" he stated

"I don't want an-"

"Yeah I know. You don't want an MRI, but you _need_ one" he sighed "I know I haven't known you for that long…but I care about you. They're not that bad, I promise" he said, stopping his rant when he saw her lips tug upward into a smile

"You care about me?" she asked teasingly

Grinning and rolling his eyes "Yes. So are you going to go?" he asked

"Fine" She relented "But when I get this MRI done, you're coming with me……I'm quite annoying when I want to be"

"Deal" he said

"You just sold your soul to the devil" She grinned uneasily

"Well I already made an appointment for you" he retorted with a grin himself "Tomorrow 12. Be there" he stated

"But my grandpa!" She protested

"Will be in therapy with me, perfectly capable hands if I do say so myself" he shot back

"You think of everything" She huffed

"It's a gift" he smirked

* * *

"Hey" he said the next day as he was putting Richard back to bed and Rory walked in, back from her appointment

"Hey" she smiled, setting her things down "How'd he do?" she asked glancing at his tired state

"Pretty well" he said honestly "We walked a few steps, did some exercises."

"Looks tired" She laughed

"He is" he commented "What happened with the neurologist?"

"Basically the same thing that happened last time. MRI" she stated

"She didn't say anything else?" he asked in concern

"Well she was pretty concerned about the headaches and a couple other things" She waived off

"Other things?" He raised an eyebrow, sitting down across from her

Rory sighed "So I get migraines, have neck pain, night sweats, and my head feels pretty heavy" she listed off making his eyes widen

"Rory!" He exclaimed

"What?" She asked

"You didn't tell me half of that" he said annoyed and now even more concerned for her. None of that sounded good…

"Well I told you now" She groaned "And I have an MRI scheduled for Monday" she said

Tristan nodded "I can take Monday off" he said

"Gracias" She said with a small smile

"De nada" he responded with a chuckle

* * *

"I can't go in with you Mary" he sighed in frustration

"You promised" She stated

"I can't be in there with you!" He exclaimed "it's not my fault"

"Way to be 4 Tristan" she said annoyed

Glaring at her he stood up and walked over to the reception desk "Can I please talk to the technician for Rory Gilmore?" He asked

"Hi" Tristan smirked at the young woman who appeared before him. _This might be easier than I thought_ he thought to himself

"Hi" she stuttered, making Tristan's smirk grow "Did you need anything?"

"Well" he started leaning in closer over the counter "My cousin over there, she seems to be a little freaked out about the whole process. Would it be okay if I sat with her while she's in the machine?" He asked with a small pout

"Well I-"she stuttered "Its not usually allowed"

"I wont tell" He grinned "Besides, it's the only way to get her to take the damn thing. Maybe I can buy you dinner to make up for it?"

"I guess that could be arranged" The young woman practically drooled

"Great" He said leaning back again

"You owe me" he muttered to Rory as he sat back down "By the way, anyone asks…I'm your cousin"

Rory grinned "Thank you!"

"Bribe. I had to bribe her" he hissed

"With what?" she asked

"Dinner" he stated making Rory crack up laughing

"You had to use your wiles? You're complaining because you now have a date?"

"Let's go" he grunted as her name was called

The technician asked her a few questions and made sure everything was in order; all while stealing glances at Tristan…which annoyed Rory. It shouldn't have. He only did it because she had forced him to, but it still irritated her for some reason.

After Rory had changed into one of those hospital gowns, she walked into the room with the large MRI machine, finding Tristan sitting down next to it. "Hey" he said with a small smile

"Hi" She said weakly, dreading what was about to happen next.

"You'll be _fine_" he stated "Can we get this done asap because the tech is still making eyes at me" he muttered into her ear, making her smile a little

"Thanks" She said and climbed onto the machine and laid down. The technician put a couple of pillows and a blanket on her before securing her head in place with a large plastic covering, immediately making her feel like she had no room to breathe.

"Calm down Rory" Tristan said as if sensing her struggle

"She okay?" the lady asked

Tristan nodded "She'll be fine. How long will this take?" he asked

"About 25 minutes" she answered before pushing the button, sending her sliding into the machine.

"Close your eyes" he said softly

"Okay no talking, no sudden movements, and no deep breaths. The machine is very sensitive to movement so try and keep as still as possible. You'll hear a series of clicks and beeps which is what the earplugs I gave you are for." She said "Ready to go?"

"Yeah" Rory said quietly

"If at any time you want to stop or feel that something's wrong, I'll be able to hear you through the microphone." She said

"_uhm" _Rory said as she looked around the tight encasing. The machine hadn't even started yet

"Rory" she heard Tristan say "Close your eyes…I don't want you to open them until I say okay?" He stated seriously, placing a comforting hand on her leg which was still outside the machine

Rory took a deep breath and nodded "yeah…okay" she whispered, closing her eyes

"Ready?" The technician asked

"Yeah" Rory said quietly and heard a series of quick loud clicks go off.

After the first 8 minutes, she heard the machine go quiet. "You alright?" Tristan asked

Rory nodded, still not opening her eyes. "Good." He said

* * *

"Never again" She glared at Tristan after she had changed back into her normal clothes

Rolling his eyes he led her out to the waiting room "It wasn't that bad."

"Huh!" She grunted incredulously "Oh yeah. Every claustrophobics dream"

"There were no tears." He argued

"Did you want there to be!"

"No of course not" he said "Rory. You got through it. I doubt you'll have to do it again"

"Fine" She huffed

"So where are you taking Stacey or Sarah, whatever her name is" she muttered

Tristan raised his eyebrows and fixed her with an amused grin "Jealous Mary? I did it for you"

"I'm not jealous Tristan" she hissed "I thought I'd offer to save you from the tragedy but obviously if you want to go…"

Chuckling, he shook his head as he opened the door to the car "She forgot to get my number" he said innocently

Rory smiled "_Forgot_?"

"I _may_ have given her the rejection hotline" he said in an angelic voice

Rory's jaw dropped "Tristan!" She exclaimed "That's terrible"

"I know, and that's why I didn't" he laughed "Sometimes I wish I was more of a bastard…"

"I don't!" She exclaimed

"Yeah? Why's that?" he smirked

"What kind of a question is that?" she raised an eyebrow

"Get in the car" he rolled his eyes at her. The girl really didn't know how to take a hint? Did she really not know that he was flirting with her?

"Jeez Tristan…" she muttered, doing as he said and sitting down in the car.

He muttered something about being clueless and it being shockingly endearing while he made his way over to the driver's side and got in. "I gotta say though, those hospital gowns hang pretty nicely on you" he winked while starting the engine

Rory's jaw dropped "Excuse me" she stuttered, her cheeks tinted pink

Tristan chuckled. That was more like it.

"They were pretty comfortable" she joked

"I'll hold you to that, I can get you some…" he grinned

"That's okay" She mumbled "Where are you taking me?" she asked when he missed the freeway to go back to Stars hollow

"To the nursing home?" he asked in confusion

"Right" She muttered "Sorry I totally forgot. Does that make me terrible?" she asked with a humorless chuckle

"No" he frowned "It means you thought about yourself for one second."

"I shouldn't need to" She said softly "He's in the hospital…or nursing home or whatever. He's miserable"

"He's not miserable" Tristan said "He's just adjusting. He's looking up already; yesterday he went to the library after you left"

"How do you know?"

"Because I heard about it the next day. Apparently he's a real Ulysses fan" he smirked "He was chatting it up with Mr. Heandren for hours"

Rory smiled "Thank you"

"No problem" he laughed

* * *

A/N: Okay I know I know, it's been FOREVER. But I've been so busy! Beginning of the school year's never fun. Anyways, here it is. Give me some critiques, ideas, compliments…basically any indication that people are still reading. Or just drop in and say hey and rant about something random. I like random ;)


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